I Promise
by Phoenyx0728
Summary: Yang is injured, Ruby is gone. Jaune isn't one to let his friends be hurt. A short little one-shot based on a first-sentence prompt; "I'll find her, and bring her home. I promise."
**This was written back between Volume 1 and 2, and has just been sitting on my computer. I figured I'd just throw it out there.
**  
 **It's written based on a first-sentence writing prompt generator.**

 **The Prompt: "I'll find her, and bring her home. I promise."**

 **Enjoy,  
-Phoenyx**

* * *

"I'll find her, and bring her home. I promise."

Jaune's voice had, admittedly, caught the group off guard, where the infirmary had been nothing but near-silent words of comfort for Yang. Yet the look in his eyes and the hand placed softly on the center of his chest left no room for doubt. Criminals were not known for sparing lives, and the Black Queen was definitely no exception to the rule. The wrapped up blonde looked shocked beneath her bandages, not the shell-shock that had previously marred and entangled her every movement and word, but truly genuine shock at his declaration. Part of her had not expected anyone to speak up so soon... the other part had told herself that the bumbling blonde leader would not be the one to say anything at all. Blake or Weiss, she could understand if they had spoken first, they were part of Team RWBY... But Jaune wasn't...

But then, maybe Yang couldn't quite understand him anyway. After all, Jaune was the first person to talk to Ruby willingly during her time at Beacon... They were probably better friends than she'd ever realize. He was equal parts bumbling idiot and strong leader. 'One part brave, three parts fool', words he always attributed to his Father and Grandfather.

Jaune's proclamation pulled everyone's eyes from the floor and in that moment Yang knew he had their unwavering support. Ren unsheathed his pistols, checking them for a moment before they retracted. Nora, surprisingly quiet, nodded silently and ran her hand across Magnhild. Weiss had a look of determined fury on her face, nodding towards Jaune with her hand on her rapier handle. Blake was quiet as usual, but her bow twitched and her hands found her weapon along with everyone else, her book discarded and forgotten next to Yang's thigh. Pyrrha would always follow Jaune and this time was no different.

There were no words of thanks from the brawler. In fact, there were no sounds whatsoever, aside from the tears that flowed freely down her face and pattered lightly onto the bedclothes below. Still silent, she closed her eyes and nodded, trying to keep on some sort of strong front for her friends. She had practiced for years at controlling her emotions, keeping a sense of an iron wall for Ruby...

But Ruby... Ruby wasn't here right now, and there was a chance she'd never be here again...

 _Damn_ the Black Queen. Her tears of sorrow turned to rage, burning their thin trails down her face, drawing clear lines between the dirt and grime that had yet to be cleaned. Critical condition did not leave much time for personal appearance. She pushed her head further down, wanting to hide her anger and rage from the group, clenching her fists so hard that she felt her nails beginning to cut thin wounds into her palms, her hair shaking effervescently with her sobs.

Strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, and she felt her head pulled into the stomach of someone that was most definitely a male. "Shh, shh." Jaune stroked her hair, ignoring the heat that her Semblance gave off. The scalded skin would heal faster than Yang could burn it. He was trying to sound cheery, confident. "It'll be okay, Yang. I've got a plan." He comforted in that soft voice, the sounds of shuffling feet in the background. Despite her anger, she felt her tension melt into him, the iron wall quickly reduced to nothing more than air. Her tears would probably leave dark splotches on his uniform, but at that point she doubted Juniper's leader would notice or care. It was selfless, kind, and so very strong.

Of course he had a plan.

Jaune was perfect like that, Yang decided, whether or not he knew it. That was what P-money saw in him, _that_ was why she snatched him up from day one.

It took several minutes for her tears to stop, and even longer for the injured girl to pull her arms from the tight hold she had captured him in. Jaune sucked in a small breath, relieved at the sudden decompression of his airway. She tried to smile up at him, the normally shameless blonde stuttering out haggard thanks. Jaune shook his head no, placing a comforting hand on her head and ruffling her hair. The action normally would have annoyed Yang, of course, but one look in a reflective surface told her that she did not look her best at the current moment and his hand couldn't do any more harm.

Then, tentatively, Jaune worked around her hair and face with quick hands, pulling strands out of her vision and tucking them behind her ear, removing tangled sections, pieces of drywall and brick, and then taking a nearby alcohol wipe and cleaning her face with quick and gentle motions. "I have a plan." He reassured her as he cleaned, his eyes locking to hers. "We know where she is."

Yang could only nod, her throat closing up again. She itched to ask to come along, wanting nothing more than to drive a loaded Ember Cecila into the Black Queen over and over and _over_ an _-_

"I'll bring her back." He repeated with a smile. "Just rest up, okay? She'll need her big sister to be ready for her."

Any thoughts of violence were quickly expelled when Ruby was mentioned. Yang nodded mutely again, but Jaune frowned at the action, tossing away the dirtied cloth and providing her with a mirror. "Say something, you're not usually this quiet. I don't expect a pun, but..." The Arc trailed off, furrowing his brow as he encountered a particularly stubborn piece of dirt.

There was a heavy moment while Yang appreciated how quickly he worked, already feeling a bit more whole than before. She had to be strong, of course, Jaune was right: Ruby was going to need her. "Wh-" She coughed, before clearing her throat and trying again. "What are you going to do when you find _her_?"

"Whatever it takes." Jaune replied instantly, standing up to his full height and looking down at her. He was serious, she realized, the same way he got before every battle, the same way he was when he stood up to Cardin for Velvet. There was no bumbling jokes, no stuttering apologies, or ill-timed off-kilter flirting. Something constricted in her stomach painfully as a stark realization occurred to her.

He _could_ doit. If anyone could make the impossible happen, it was him.

The Knight gave her one last reassuring smile, turning and making for the door, his back straight, head up, and his fists clenched. "Jaune!" She called after him, the urge overcoming her reservations. When he turned back to her with a questioning look, the words nearly died on her lips. "She'll... have you too? Right?"

"Of course. You both will." Was his answer, and then he was gone.

No matter how long Yang tried, she could not sleep.

It had been sixteen hours since her friends had left, and while the Aura treatment had simultaneously healed and fatigued her, her mind would not allow her any reprieve. She was, however, ravenously devouring the hospital food that had been provided, the half-cardboard, half-broken dreams taste a welcome distraction from what she had come to know as the flavor of rubble. Being thrown through walls was not exactly uncommon in her line of work, but being thrown through buildings while her Aura was at dangerously low levels had been something else. When _that_ woman had discovered that the blonde was essentially fireproof, things had turned less flame-covered and more... grapple and toss violently.

It had been like fighting that Neo girl again, Yang hadn't been able to land a square hit and had been lucky that her Uncle Qrow had arrived when he did. She might not have survived otherwise, and the worst part of it all was that the Black clad woman had won a fight so easily with Ruby in sight. Yang could have reached out and probably touched her sister if she tried, but the act would have left her with more than just several broken ribs, punctured lungs, and a shattered femur.

"Penny for your thoughts?" A warm voice punctured the silent infirmary, giving the moonlit room a bit more life. Ozpin leaned forwards on his cane slightly, his gaze bearing down on Yang in a way that she had gotten used to from two years of antics and pranks. When the blonde didn't speak, Ozpin gave her a reassuring look and pulled a scroll from his pocket. "Found them." He read aloud, the words pushing bright waves of hope into Yang's core. "Waiting for morning light to assault, Shadow is currently on watch for movement, preparing for Knight-fall. Will update after victory." With a sigh, he closed the scroll. "From Knight."

Yang remained silent, her cheeks puffed out very slightly from the food that she had not had the presence of mind to continue chewing. Slowly, her jaw began to work again, before she swallowed down the tasteless paste that had been labeled as 'mashed potato'. Ozpin smiled again, gesturing towards her with his hand. "You should get some rest, Ms. Xiao-Long. I am sure you are tired, I simply wanted to ensure you remained updated on the situation."

"I can't sleep." She whispered, hoarsely voiced from lack of use. "Too worried for Ruby."

"Hmm." The enigmatic man moved a chair next to her bed and sat down, his cane resting between his legs and his hands resting firmly on it's head. "Do you trust your teammates?"

"Yes?" Yang gave a confused look, before the gray haired elder continued. "Do you trust your classmates?"

"Yes." More sure this time, her heart thumping slowly in her chest. She had a feeling what his next question was.

"Do you trust Jaune?"

"With my life."

"With your sister's?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow but Yang nodded quickly in reply, unwilling to admit that Ruby was in mortal danger. A rare smile cut his face, and he waved his hand to the side. "Good. Then I am positive everything will be fine."

The two lapsed into silence, and to her surprise, Yang found it comfortable. Something about Ozpin's words had left a deep root of confidence towards the fellow blonde, and the Huntress took to eating again, albeit slower.

She _did_ trust Jaune with her life, although the information wasn't new, it did bring forth some deliberations. Mostly along the lines of ' _When did I start feeling like I could trust him?_ '. Her first impression, him vomiting on her shoes, had not exactly been his most shining moment. Still, he had apologized frequently throughout the day, week, and month until she had forgiven him. Instead of the downward spiral Yang had expected from the Arc from the get-go, he fought with the entirety of his being to be respected, overcoming everything from Grimm, to his own personal shortcomings, to pig-headed bullies.

It had been both surprising and exhilarating to see the scrawnier blonde stare down the bull that was Cardin, without so much as raising his voice or clenching a fist. She had felt that same surprise when he defeated CRDL's leader with a two strokes of his sword. Of course, Yang had used that particular wording to her advantage, something that had left the poor teen red-faced and sputtering. After that moment, even with all the strength he possessed, he'd still be that adorable little dork that she could embarrass at the turn of a phrase. _He can do it._

Soon, Ozpin found Yang asleep with a smile ghosting her face.

It was a loud yell, muffled by the thick doors, that shocked her awake, the blonde forcing herself up on one elbow and rubbing at her groggy eyes.

Sunlight filtered through the windows above, giving the entire room an all to natural feel, despite the smell of heavy sanitation. There was another yell, and the infirmary doors burst open, a mess of blonde, black, and red hairs pushing their way through equipment, carting what looked like a bundle of red with dark hair. A pang pierced Yang's heart as she realized exactly what she was seeing, and she tore at the monitoring equipment that sat on her skin frantically.

There was a sound of a body hitting one of the beds, a squeak of metal as it became accustom to the added weight. Yang threw the thick cover off of her body, trying to force herself to stand. Another unruly mess of blonde hair filled her vision for a moment, with droplets of red scattered throughout the thick locks that put another pang of worry into her chest. "Slow down, Yang." Jaune panted, placing both of his hands on her shoulders. "She's fine. She's okay." The female didn't follow his words, still trying to push herself off of the bed, but the Knight's hands held her firmly down. "Yang, _Yang_! Calm down. Come on." Jaune lifted his head to stare into her eyes, his gaze a tell that she did not have a choice at the moment. He had a cut along his forehead and across his cheek, both thin but fairly deep, and his armor was riddled with scratches and dents, but he looked no worse for wear than she still felt.

"You good?" He was saying, eyes as blue as the ocean boring into lilac. A breath hitched in her throat, and she squirmed under his grip for several moments before settling, uncomfortable. "Okay, I need you to listen to me." Jaune's voice was still in it's serious tones. "She's unconscious, Weiss says it's possible she has a concussion, there's a couple really bad looking wounds on her arms and stomach." The words weren't helping, of course, she wanted to push him away and go to Ruby. She had to see with her own eyes. "But." Jaune smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I made it in time. Ren thinks she should be able to make a full recovery."

"How long ago did you find her?" Yang's voice cracked in it's whisper, fearing that they could possibly be wrong.

"An hour ago."

Wait, _What?_ They were _that_ close _?_

"How..." Yang's eyebrows scrunched together as she added two and two. That familiar feeling of annoyance and anger at her sibling flared, how could she do something so... _stupid!?_ "Ruby ran to you?"

"Not exactly. She ran through the _entire_ _city_ after she escaped, and found someone else who knew where we were." Jaune's eyes left hers, lighting over the red hooded girl with a brotherly affection. "Your sister is.. something else." There was a moment of silence before Jaune slid his hands down her arms to grip hers. "Come on, I know you want to see her."

He pulled Yang up with a gentle motion, his touch like a ghost on her skin when he traversed himself under her arm to support her. Putting pressure on her left leg sent a lance of pain up her core, and Jaune winced, tightening his grip around her waist. "I- I'm okay." Yang seethed through the pain, and the blonde boy only nodded and helped her step forwards. One step, or hop in this case, at a time, Yang was closer and closer to her goal. "Who. Did. You. Find?" She asked between hops, her arm clenched around his neck until it was almost suffocating. If he was bothered, he didn't show it.

"Your uncle." Jaune replied, and he could hear the humor on his voice. "Man, he looked seriously pissed. Dropped his canteen and took off after Ruby told him we could be trusted." Gingerly, he sat Yang down next to Ruby, who instinctively curled closer to the new warmth. It was a heartwarming sight, according to the expressions that flashed over the faces of each of the teams. Reaching down, Yang stroked her hair, whispering incomprehensible words of comfort to her little sister under her breath. Promises of everything from revenge, to lifetime supplies of strawberries after she recovered.

"Guys," Jaune said from off to the side, his voice commanding and cool. "We need to find the faculty. Ren, Nora, look for the doctors. Weiss, Blake, Pyrrha, go find Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch."

"Jaune," Pyrrha asked, confused. "What about you?"

"He's staying here." Yang answered, picking up a wipe from the nearby table and working at cleaning the blood from Ruby's forehead. "He promised me such."

"Okay." The Champion replied after Jaune nodded to her. With their orders, and surprisingly with no arguments from the Ice Queen, or any outbursts from the normally bubbly Nora, the other teens shuffled out of the room. The Knight moved to their bedside slowly, unwilling to interrupt Yang during her work. After the blood was cleaned from her face, Yang took to Ruby's hair, the wet wipes making quick work of any caked blood. "Jaune." The blonde called softly as she finished up with the final bit of what she could see. "I need you to promise me something."

"Anything." His reply was quick, hand resting comfortably on the pommel of Crocea Mors. His eyes were scanning the room, as if he expected the Black Queen to have followed them to Beacon. Yang looked up at him, trying to keep whatever tears were left over from spilling out. After a moment, she sighed. "Never mind. Take off your armor."

"W-what?" His face went red, and Yang couldn't help but smile at the sudden appearance of his usual self. "I'm going to hug the hell out of you for bringing her back." The female reiterated, gripping Ruby's tiny hand with one of her own. The younger girl curled closer to her sister. "And I don't want to bend the armor... well, more than it already is."

"Oh..." Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Okay..."

Nora and Ren had been the first to return, the redhead chattering with a very worried looking doctor about the benefits of pancakes in the diet.

The moment the doctor could, he rushed to Ruby's bedside, Ren placing a hand on Nora to keep her from following. Jaune was quick to help Yang into a nearby bed, pushing his armor out of the way so that she had room to shift her weight. When he stood back up to his full height, the brawler grabbed his hand and pulled him down to sit next to her. Which ended up with Jaune receiving an uncomfortable poke from his own armor, which he nervously pushed away. "Stay." She commanded, to which the Knight merely nodded. "You know, Lover-boy, you always manage to get yourself beat up."

"Huh? Oh, well I get hit a lot. Part of being an Arc." His voice was non-believing, having expected something a little less... insulting. Yang nabbed up another alcohol wipe, before pushing his hair out of the way and dabbing at the cut on his forehead. Jaune hissed at the sting, but lilac eyes flashed at his, amused. "Quiet, you big baby." Her words cut in a whisper. Said big baby only whined: "But it stings!"

"Jaune." Unable to help it, Yang giggled _._ "You took hits from me – well, one time – without complaining. I think you can handle a little bit of stinging."

"Yeah, but that was different!" He groaned out quietly as she swapped to the cut on his cheek. "Before, you weren't doing it to spite me. We were paired to spar!"

"I'm trying to help you." She deadpanned, removing the last of the blood from where it had dried on his jaw. "This might scar."

Jaune shrugged, and she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his torso and squeezing. _Tightly_. To the side, Ren pulled Nora back out of the infirmary, whispering something in her ear. Not exactly knowing how to respond, the Knight lifted his free hand and stroked her hair gently. He felt some pressure against his shoulder, and soon realized that she was talking into the cloth. The most he could make out between her mouthfuls of fabric were 'thank you'. After a moment, she turned to rest her cheek on his shoulder, her grip around him remaining strong enough to cut his air supply in half.

"She'll be okay, right?" Yang asked. Jaune didn't hesitate to smile and nod back. "Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise." 

* * *

**Lemme know what you think,**

 **-Phoenyx**


End file.
